As Cars and Trucks Get Bigger and Taller, Lawmakers Look to Protect Pedestrians
Lawmakers in Congress introduced a bill on Friday that would put federal limitations on automobile hood height and visibility to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
“We've seen these standards over time improve vehicle safety with a focus on the people in the vehicle,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), a co-sponsor of the Pedestrian Protection Act. “But this would sort of expand that to pedestrians, bicyclists and people outside the vehicle.”
Larger cars are favored as they're supposed to be safer for the occupants but it’s a very different story for people outside the car.
Almost Half of All New EVs In the U.S. Are Leased
Leasing has become the preferred way for Americans to get behind the wheel of a new electric vehicle. Leasing accounts for 48.7% of sales, while financing went down to 34.7%, followed by cash with just 16.6%.
The shift toward leasing is a market-wide trend, but the EV sector saw the biggest change in this direction. The percentage of leases attributed to EVs in Q2 2024 was 16.5%, while in Q2 2022 it was 11.0%.
When it comes to EVs, the proliferation of more budget-oriented models, higher inventory levels and the fact that the $7,500 federal tax credit can be applied to any EV when leasing, not just American-made ones, were the main factors at play.
Even More Car Insurance Cost Hikes Are Coming: Report
States that experience severe weather damage and high car theft rates will see premium jump as much as 61 percent. Three states, in particular, could see rates increase by more than 50 percent by the end of the year, according to a report.
According to a new report from Insurify, the increases are due to a number of factors, including severe storms, wildfires, and car thefts. For example, the Midwest experienced a supercell last year that produced golf ball-sized hail, heavy rains, and tornadoes. In Minnesota, the hail reached baseball-sized proportions. As for California, well, it has a tendency to burn.
These Cars Have the Longest Driving Range After a Low Fuel Warning
There are usually two types of people in a relationship: Those who fill their gas tanks as soon as it crosses the halfway mark and those who tempt fate by driving as far as possible with the low fuel light on. A recent MarketWatch Guides report caters to the latter crowd, as it examined how far different vehicles travel on an empty tank.
The Toyota RAV4 Icon FWD offers the best mileage with an empty tank, traveling more than 73 miles after the fuel light comes on, according to the study. That’s more than enough to get to the next gas station and may even tempt some owners into driving for days with the fuel light illuminated.
The US Govt is Fixing and Upgrading 4,500 EV Charging Ports
The US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has broken ground on a $150 million grant project to repair and upgrade 4,500 EV charging ports.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office, emphasized the importance of reliable charging infrastructure, stating, “These upgraded chargers offer faster speeds, serve more drivers, and are part of projects creating jobs across the country.”
The effort to fix and upgrade existing EV chargers comes at a time when, according to the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, approximately 5% of public charging ports are temporarily unavailable.
